one example, the pentagon wants to cut an enormous program. it doesn't need it. this does not allow them to cut it. but the pentagon says we don't need cuts over here where you are cutting. could we just fix this? the answer is no. mike, that's dumb. why is everybody on capitol hill so dumb? reporter: actually, the republican plan would have given president obama a democratic president, more flexibility, but then there's also the question if, if you give up the power of the purse to the white house, then congress loses a lot of power, so there's a lot of dynamics at work here. you are correct, there are lot of ways you can do this a lot more surgically, and that's something hey have been talking about but have not taken action so far. >> shepard: the other side talks about more revenue, more revenue. really what that is it a closing of loopholes, and you put the public, there are loopholes out there, for instance, that make it such that many corporations based in the town within blocks of the spot where i'm sitting at this moment, pay less in taxes last year than